Jeff Mauro's Fennel Sausage Sandwich | Worst Cooks in America

Jeff butterflies and sears his homemade sausage for extra-caramelized texture and flavor in his version of this classic Chicago sandwich! #AnneBurrell #JeffMauro #WorstCooks #FoodNetwork #FennelSausageSandwich Watch #WorstCooks​​, Sundays at 8|7c from 8/6/23 to 9/10/23 and #StreamOnMax! Get the recipe ▶ https://foodtv.com/3OySWZI Subscribe to Food Network ▶ http://foodtv.com/YouTube A new batch of recruits invades boot camp, and they’re desperate to learn how to cook so they can hook a date! Chefs Anne Burrell and Jeff Mauro welcome 16 fun-loving, flirty singles to the boot camp kitchen with the goal to transform them from kitchen duds to culinary studs. The challenges this season are chocked full of romantic themes and dating-inspired showdowns, and the recruits learn how to make date night meals like sushi, spicy wontons and classic French pastries. At the end of eight weeks, the last recruit standing will walk away with a $25,000 prize and the ability to put "cooking skills" on their dating profile. Welcome to Food Network, where learning to cook is as simple as clicking play! Grab your apron and get ready to get cookin' with some of the best chefs around the world. We'll give you a behind-the-scenes look at our best shows, take you inside our favorite restaurant and be your resource in the kitchen to make sure every meal is a 10/10! The Freddy: Fennel Sausage Sandwich with Italian Pico and Fresh Mozzarella RECIPE COURTESY OF JEFF MAURO Level: Intermediate Total: 45 min Active: 45 min Yield: 4 servings Ingredients Sausage: 2 teaspoons fennel seeds 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic 2 pounds pork shoulder, cubed Extra-virgin olive oil Sausage casing Italian Pico: 2 cups diced Roma tomatoes 1/4 cup basil, chiffonade 1/4 cup green olives, pitted and chopped 3 to 4 Calabrian chiles, minced 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Sandwich Build: 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 4 ciabatta rolls, halved 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced Directions Special equipment: a stand mixer with the meat grinder attachment For the sausage: Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Add the fennel seeds, salt, crushed red pepper, sugar, black pepper, garlic and a couple dashes of water to a mortar and pestle. Crush to a paste. Add to the pork then mix together until the pork is evenly coated. Add the pork mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a meat grinder with a medium die. Grind the mixture once into a bowl. Add to the stand mixer bowl, along with 2 tablespoons water and, with the paddle attachment, mix until well combined. Place the sausage mixture in the freezer while getting the casing. Replace the grinder die with a sausage stuffing tube. Slide the casing onto the tube, leaving about 2 inches at the end. Remove the sausage mixture from the freezer and feed into the grinder hopper until the sausage gets to the tip. Tie the end of the casing. At medium-low speed, feed it into a coil into the metal bowl. Tie off links. Split the sausage links lengthwise, leaving them hinged. Heat about a teaspoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausages to the pan, cut-side down, and cook them until deeply brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Turn them over and brown on the casing side until cooked through, another 1 to 2 minutes. For the Italian pico: Meanwhile, mix together the tomatoes, basil, olives, chiles, olive oil and vinegar in a bowl. Season to taste. For the sandwich build: Heat a griddle over medium heat. Schmear 2 tablespoons of the softened butter on the INSIDE of each ciabatta roll. Place cut-side down on the griddle and cook until lightly golden brown. Place fresh mozzarella slices on the bottom bun. Top with a sausage link, then top with Italian pico. Subscribe to our channel to fill up on the latest must-eat recipes, brilliant kitchen hacks and content from your favorite Food Network shows. ▶ WEBSITE: https://www.foodnetwork.com ▶ FULL EPISODES: https://watch.foodnetwork.com ▶ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FoodNetwork ▶ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/FoodNetwork ▶ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/FoodNetwork ▶ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@foodnetwork Jeff Mauro's Fennel Sausage Sandwich | Worst Cooks in America | Food Network https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvh65v7N_bg